McLaren Cars
McLaren Cars is an automaker founded in 1990 with the object of producing road cars based on Formula One technology. It works closely with the Team McLaren Formula One constructor and is part of the McLaren Group.
F1
McLaren Cars' first product was the McLaren F1, a sports car and also a supercar priced at £640,000. The F1 was a three seat coupe with the driver situated in the middle of the car. The 6.1-litre V12 engine, which produces 627 bhp (468 kW), was designed and built by BMW.
The F1 holds the record for the fastest production car ever made, with an independently measured top speed of 240.14 mph (380 km/h). It has a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds.
The only other comparable vehicles are the Ferrari Enzo and the Bugatti EB110, though plans are in the works for a faster Bugatti, the EB 16/4 Veyron, and both Cadillac and Chrysler have produced concept cars which would outpace the F1. In May 1998, the production of the McLaren F1 ceased. In 1995, a McLaren F1 GTR (the racing version of the F1) won the 24 hours of Le Mans race.
SLR
In 1999 McLaren Cars agreed to design and manufacture the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler (who also supply engines to the Team McLaren racing team under the Mercedes-Benz brand). For more information on the SLR, see its article.
See also
